Tubal Ligation Reversal Cost and Success Rates

Tubal ligation, often informally referred to as "getting one's tubes tied" is considered to be a permanent form of birth control (or female sterilization), in which the fallopian tubes are cut, tied, or blocked to prevent conception. This procedure prevents the egg from getting from the ovary to the uterus, and stops sperm from reaching the fallopian tube to fertilize the egg. While tubal litigation is intended to be permanent, it is possible to reverse it with tubal ligation reversal procedure. Tubal reversal surgery repairs the fallopian tube in order to restore fertility.

In 98% of women who had tubal ligation it is possible to restore the fallopian tubes back to normal. The success of the procedure depends on several factors; most importantly, the amount of healthy tube remaining, location of the tubal damage, and woman's age. A tubal ligation can generally be reversed if the patient sustained minimal tissue damage during the original procedure. However, if the tube tissue was damaged, the woman may not be a candidate for reversal procedure.

This procedure should be only considered if both partners are otherwise fertile. Success rates for pregnancy after a tubal ligation reversal range between 70% and 80%.

However, even after the ligation reversal, it may be still impossible for some women to get pregnant. Especially if the woman is in her late 30s or early 40s, there is a sharp decline in fertility that starts around the age of 36. Also, there is a higher risk of an ectopic pregnancy.

Women who wish to have a baby but their tubes cannot be restored or the reversal did not worked as they hoped, can still get pregnant by means of in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment.

Tubal ligation reversal is a procedure that should be performed by highly experienced specialist. It's best to find a surgeon who specializes in this type of procedures. Generally, it has low risk of complications and the procedure is most often successful.

The surgery takes 1-2 hours. It can be performed under general or local anesthesia. The actual procedure varies according to how the initial tubal ligation was performed. The recovery time is different for every woman. Up to 2 weeks are often needed for the body to fully repair itself.

The cost of tubal ligation reversal is not cheap at about $5,000-$12,000.

Check with your insurance company whether they will cover the cost of a tubal reversal. Some insurance carriers may cover all or part of the cost of tubal ligation reversal, although most do not.

Compare this to the cost of vasectomy, which is much more affordable, and  usually covered under health insurance plans.  A vasectomy is considered to be simple - usually done right in the doctor's office - so the costs are comparatively low among surgical procedures. This is an important consideration that should be investigated carefully.

Typically, vasectomy costs will be in the range of $500 to $1,000, depending on geographic location, the surgical technique used by the doctor and other factors.